Tech companies slammed for 'empowering' hate towards Catholics, Jews
During an hours-long antitrust hearing in Congress July 29 with CEOs of Amazon, Facebook, Google and other tech companies, Representative Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) accused Amazon and Facebook of “empowering” people who “traffic in hate” against mainstream American religions.
Gaetz called out Jeff Bezos specifically during the hearing, accusing him of unknowingly partnering with institutions that hold intolerance towards religious charities and foundations.
“I am not accusing you as someone who would ever traffic in hate,” Gaetz said. “But, it seems that you have empowered people who do. And I’m particularly talking about the Southern Poverty Law Center.”
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is a legal non-profit founded in 1971 that describes itself as “dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of our society.” The SPLC has faced backlash in recent years for perceived overeagerness in designating individuals and organizations as “extremist.”
Gaetz continued, “The Southern Poverty Law Center, who you allow to dictate who can receive donations on your Amazon Smile platform, has said the Catholic Family News, Catholic Family Ministries, Federation for American Immigration Reform, the American Family Association, the Family Research Council, the Jewish Defense League, and even Dr. Ben Carson are extremists, and should be treated differently.”
Carson is not listed directly in the SPLC’s database of alleged extremists, but he is a frequent topic of reporting on their blog Hatewatch. In 2016, the SPLC shared an article, originally from Right Wing Watch, titled, “Five reasons why Ben Carson should never become the Secretary of Education.” Carson identifies with the Seventh-Day Adventist faith, a sect of Protestant Christianity that shares common beliefs with mainstream evangelicals.
“Dr. Carson is on the Cabinet and is one of the most renowned minds in America,” Gaetz said. “I’m just wondering why you would place your confidence in a group that seems to be so out of step and seems to take mainstream Christrian doctrine and label it as ‘hate.’”
The SPLC accused Carson of “abandoning trans people” after Carson said that navigating gender identity in womens’ shelters was a complex issue and would require further investigation.
“We use the Southern Poverty Law Center data to say which charities are extremist organizations. We also use the US Foreign Asset Office to do the same thing,” said Bezos.
Gaetz pressed further, skeptical of why the online shopping giant chose to partner with the SPLC despite criticism of their data, asking, “Why? Since they’re calling Catholics and these Jewish groups hateful groups, why would you trust them?” Gaetz replied.
In 2017, the SPLC called bishops, priests and Catholic scholars who wrote an open letter to Pope Francis warning him that his public statements were heretical a “far-right Catholic sect” on their Hatewatch blog without further clarification.
“I will acknowledge this is an imperfect system. And I would love suggestions on better or additional sources,” Bezos said in reference to Amazon’s use of the SPLC’s data for their Amazon Smile program.
“My suggestion would be to divorce from the SPLC,” said Gaetz, before the congressman’s time expired.
The SPLC offers an interactive database through which visitors to their website can browse a catalog of individuals and organizations that the non-profit has found to be “extremist.” These range from entities accused of white nationalism to homophobia and anti-Islamic rhetoric.
Of the Jewish Defense League (JDL), an entity that Gaetz referenced by name in his question, the SPLC writes, “[The JDL] has orchestrated countless terrorist attacks in the U.S. and abroad, and has engaged in intense harassment of foreign diplomats, Muslims, Jewish scholars and community leaders, and officials.”
In 2019, Bezos gave millions to fight homelessness to Catholic Charities in Spokane, Catholic Social Services in Anchorage and at least three other Christian charities, including the Salvation Army, through his philanthropic foundation.
Later on into the hearing, Gaetz attempted to revisit the issue, once again addressing Bezos and continuing his line of questioning.
"I just wanted to give you a chance to clear this up -- you don't think Dr. Ben Carson is an extremist, do you?" he asked.
Bezos responded that he does not.
“Help me understand why you would partner with a group that labels him as somebody worthy of an extremist watch list,” Gaetz inquired.
Bezos defended Amazon’s partnership with the SPLC, saying that the mult-national online shopping titan needed a list of extremist organizations to reference, though admitting that the SPLC data was “not perfect.”
“We’re trying to make it possible for people to donate to any number from millions of different charities,” Bezos said. “And we need to have some source of data to use. While I accept what you're saying that the Southern Poverty Law Center and US Foreign Asset Office are not perfect, and I would like a better source if I can get it, that is what we use today."
“It is great to hear that you recognize the infirmities of the SPLC and I guess Mr. Zuckerberg and Mr. Pichai’s companies use them as well,” Gaetz replied.
Despite these specific charities’ exclusion from the Amazon Smile platform, hundreds of Catholic and Jewish charities are available for support through the program, including: the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Hillel Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, and the Catholic-Jewish Women's Conference.
Gaetz attempted to continue the line of questioning with the Facebook founder, offering the same question asked of Bezos.
“Mr. Zuckerberg, do you believe that Dr. Ben Carson is an extremist?” Gaetz asked the Facebook CEO.
Zuckerberg said that he did not believe Carson was an extremist.
“So why would you trust the people who think he is?” Gaetz asked.
Zuckerberg claimed that he was not aware of any SPLC involvement in Facebook’s operations just before Gaetz ran out of time and the question was passed.
The SPLC does not claim any official partnership with Facebook.
In April, the SPLC criticized Facebook’s efforts to remove extremist groups from the social media network, calling their enforcement of anti-hate policies “spotty and ineffective.”
“Facebook continues to provide a safe haven for hate groups and extremists despite the company’s attempts to ‘stop the most egregious and dangerous groups from using its tools,’” the SPLC wrote.
Watch the full hearing on C-SPAN here:
Timothy Nerozzi is a reporter and editor from northeastern Pennsylvania. He covers religious issues with a focus on the Catholic Church and Japanese society and culture. He’s also a breaking news editor at The Daily Caller.